While I would be happy to join a class action law suit, I want a working refrigerator in the interim. Based upon all the discussion I have read about problems others have experienced, I have tried the use of hair dryers and plastic threads through the water dispenser. I have now moved on to ordering the WR9X10173 part but have not yet received it. In preparation for the part arrival, I also used the instructions from one of the other parties and have a problem.

Insturctions were as follows: Welcome to the club. I had the GE repair service "fix" my frozen water dispenser problem to the tune of $ 216.00. $79 for a house call, $63.00 for the part and $105 for "labor".

It took him 20 minutes to install the part. It is a heat tape that attaches to the inner edge of the dispenser just under the spout. It has a plug that goes into the switch card for water/cubes/crushed. Part #WR49X101173 - you'll find it on-line for $42 at any appliance repair site.

Remove the square plastic cover ( pops off with a screw driver), undo the four screws on the inner panel and swing out the switchplate. The part has sticky stuff on it so just press it into the U shape under the nozzle. Pug it into the circuit board and reassemble. Your done.

Now for the problem. Once I remove the square plastic cover plate, the inner panel does not have four screws. I cannot find any manuals available from GE to the consumer which describes how to get to the area where the heating tube needs to be placed. I have a side-by-side GE GSL25WGPD BS purchased in 2004 which also seems to be the models experiencing the problem.

Side-by-side refrigerator water dispenser not working: I believe I have a REAL fix for this widespread problem. While I'm also now sure the adding the heating element will also work, my own proposed fix can be applied without buying a part or going into the freezer door panel.
What I did was tape a double layer of 12-by-16 of bubble wrap across the flat area on the inside of the freezer door (just below the angled shelf area where the ice cubes go through the door.)
Here's a photo of the fix:
Side-by-side Water Dispenser Fix (EDAEmbroideryJazz)
The bubble wrap is composed of 2 layers of the larger size
Bubbles.
- It is taped just across the 12-by-16 flat area on the
Inside of the freezer door, just below the angled
Shelf area where the ice cubes flow down through
The door.
- This should insulate the area just behind
The water dispenser control mechanism area.

My clue was - Everyone reported that the dispenser
Quit after working OK for about 2 years. And everyone
Reported that you could defrost it with a hair dryer
But it only worked for another 2 days or so.
... So it had to be a frost build up inside around the
Water dispenser hose.
... And so to fix it, it just takes a LITTLE BIT more
Insulation on the inside to KEEP the frost from building
Up too much, and allowing the normal heat from outside
The freezer to keep the frost buildup down enough
To keep the water line unfrozen.

Its worked now for 3 weeks without any problem.
- If it stops again, I'll just add another layer
Of insulation or switch to a better insulation
Material (foam board? 1/2-inch Styrofoam board?)

My wife likes this fix (finally!) so well, she said
To leave the blue duct tape in place... "It looks fine!"
She said. :-)

Hope this helps...

This is a common problem with GE side by side refrigerators where the water line freezes in the door. It happened to mine and I spent good amount of time trying to fix it. Ya, it stinks that GE won't fix it but fortunately they have a water line heater that fixes it for $30 and 15 minutes. I noticed a lot of other people having the same issue so I blogged the symptoms, part and the fix. You can read about it here.